Reviews

A trial of mass isoniazid preventive therapy for tuberculosis control
Mass screening and treatment for latent tuberculosis had no significant effect on tuberculosis control in South African gold mines, despite the successful use of isoniazid in preventing tuberculosis during treatment. Churchyard GJ, Fielding KL, Lewis JJ, Coetzee L, Corbett EL, Godfrey-Faussett P, Hayes RJ, Chaisson RE, Grant AD; Thibela TB Study Team. N Engl J Med. 2014 Jan 23;370(4):301-10. PMID: 24450889

A high-dose preparation of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in the prevention of antibiotic-associated and Clostridium difficile diarrhoea in older people admitted to hospital: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel arm trial (PLACIDE)
We found no evidence that probiotic administration was effective in preventing AAD. Although there was a trend towards reduced CDD in the probiotic arm, on balance, the administration of this probiotic seems unlikely to benefit older patients exposed to antibiotics. A better understanding of the pathogenesis of AAD and CDD and the strain-specific effects of probiotics is needed before further clinical trials of specific microbial preparations are undertaken. Evaluation of the effectiveness of other probiotics will be difficult where other measures, such as antibiotic stewardship, have reduced CDD rates. Allen SJ, Wareham K, Wang D, Bradley C, Sewell B, Hutchings H, Harris W, Dhar A, Brown H, Foden A, Gravenor MB, Mack D, Phillips CJ. Health Technol Assess. 2013 Dec;17(57):1-140. PMID: 24309198

No Evidence for Distinguishing Bacterial from Viral Acute Rhinosinusitis Using Symptom Duration and Purulent Rhinorrhea: A Systematic Review of the Evidence Base
We included 1 study with moderate risk of bias, reporting data in such a manner that we could not assess the value of symptom duration and purulent rhinorrhea in adults suspected of having acute bacterial rhinosinusitis. Recommendations to distinguish between a viral and a bacterial source based on purulent rhinorrhea are not supported by evidence, and the decision to prescribe antibiotic treatment should not depend on its presence. Based on judgment driven by theory and subsidiary evidence of a greater likelihood of bacterial rhinosinusitis after 10 days, antibiotic therapy may seem a reasonable empirical option. van den Broek MF, Gudden C, Kluijfhout WP, Stam-Slob MC, Aarts MC, Kaper NM, van der Heijden GJ. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014 Feb 10. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24515968

Prenatal Identification Of Invasive Placentation Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Mri): A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis
Prenatal MRI is highly accurate in diagnosing disorders of invasive placentation. US and MRI have the same predictive accuracy. Large population based studies are needed in order to assess whether US can predict the depth and the topography of placental invasion as reliably as MRI. D'Antonio F, Iacovella C, Palacios-Jaraquemada J, Bruno CH, Manzoli L, Bhide A. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2014 Feb 10. doi: 10.1002/uog.13327. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24515654

The Ketamine Effect on ICP in Traumatic Brain Injury
No significant adverse events related to ketamine were recorded in any of the studies. Outcome data were poorly documented. There currently exists Oxford level 2b, GRADE C evidence to support that ketamine does not increase ICP in severe TBI patients that are sedated and ventilated, and in fact may lower it in selected cases. Zeiler FA, Teitelbaum J, West M, Gillman LM. Neurocrit Care. 2014 Feb 11. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24515638

Antibiotics for acute maxillary sinusitis in adults
There is moderate evidence that antibiotics provide a small benefit for clinical outcomes in immunocompetent primary care patients with uncomplicated acute sinusitis. However, about 80% of participants treated without antibiotics improved within two weeks. Clinicians need to weigh the small benefits of antibiotic treatment against the potential for adverse effects at both the individual and general population levels. Ahovuo-Saloranta A, Rautakorpi UM, Borisenko OV, Liira H, Williams Jr JW, Mäkelä M. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Feb 11;2:CD000243. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24515610